These healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies are easy to make in 20 minutes with just 3 ingredients! This simple but tasty recipe is sure to become a new go-to for a quick snack or dessert.

These wonderful cookies are pure magic when it comes to healthy desserts. Made with just 3 whole food ingredients, they’re perfect for kids, those with allergies or anyone looking for a healthier, homemade dessert option.

One of the best things about these, aside from how easy they are to make, is the endless ways you can customize them. From cranberries to walnuts, dark chocolate to pumpkin seeds, anything goes!

Keep in mind that since these have minimal ingredients and no flour, they’re soft, chewy and are more like a baked oatmeal or a dense muffin than a decadent cookie. I love them though and they’re one of my favourite treats and pre-workout snacks. They certainly satisfy a craving for something sweet! I think you’ll love them.

Features

• Dietary Features: Vegan, gluten-free (use gluten-free certified oats), oil-free, can be nut-free and sugar-free.
• Just 3 ingredients: Banana, peanut butter and oats!
• Quick and Easy: Make them in 20 minutes in 1 bowl.
• Customize with your favourite add-ins for a different flavour variation every time.
• Great for kids, snacking, hiking, road trips and a quick pre-workout boost in energy.

Ingredient Notes

Complete list of ingredients with amounts is located in the recipe card below.

• Oats: Rolled oats, quick oats or large flake oats all work. The original recipe calls for quick oats since they’re finer and hold together best but any kind works. Can’t do oats? Try quinoa flakes!
• Banana: Ripe or slightly overripe banana is best. They don’t have to be completely brown, just nice and perfectly ripe! A lightly spotted banana is great! If you’re looking for an easy cookie without banana, check out these 3-ingredient oatmeal cookies.
• Peanut Butter: Any nut or seed butter works so feel free to use whatever suits your preference. Peanut butter and banana is always a delicious combo but if you need a peanut-free recipe, almond butter works and if you can’t do nuts, sunflower seed butter, tahini and Wowbutter all work!

Those are the 3 main ingredients that make up the base of this simple recipe. I like to add salt, vanilla and cinnamon to enhance the flavour and I almost always add chocolate chips.

See the recipe card and add-in idea section for how to customize the recipe to your liking.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1. Mash the banana into a smooth paste using a fork or immersion blender.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the banana and mix to combine into a thick, sticky dough.

Step 3. Drop 16 spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking pan and shape each spoonful into a cookie shape.

Quick Note: The cookies will not spread or change shape during baking, so be sure to create the shape you want beforehand. You can make them large and flat or leave them as more of a haystack-style cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Add-In Ideas

Mix and match up to 1 cup of any of the following:

• chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
• white chocolate chips
• corn flakes
• crushed walnuts or pecans
• chopped almonds or cashews
• any seeds such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots
• raisins or chopped dates
• shredded coconut

Notes

• The nutrition facts include 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tbsp maple syrup. For the basic recipe (oats, banana, peanut butter) with no additions, each cookie is 99 calories with 4 g of fat, 12 g of carbs and 3 g of protein.
• The maple syrup, vanilla, salt and chocolate chips are all optional but help to enhance the flavour of the cookies. The most basic version of this recipe is just the oats, banana and peanut butter. Feel free to add in any or all of the listed options to suit your taste preference.
• Rolled or old fashioned oats are totally fine to use in this recipe but quick oats just hold together a little better since they’re finer. I usually just use rolled oats because that’s what I tend to have on hand.
• These have a soft, baked oatmeal or dense muffin-like texture and do not get hard or crunchy. Made with just banana, peanut butter and oats, they are a healthy snack or treat, and definitely not a decadent dessert. I recommend adding at least the chocolate chips, to make them sweeter and more of a treat.

Storing

• Let cool completely on a cooking rack or directly on the baking pan before storing.
• Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.
• If frozen, thaw briefly at room temperature or warm in the microwave before enjoying.

Originally published March 5, 2017. Updated on April 9, 2021 with new photos and text. No change was made to the original recipe.